Red String
by Eden888
Summary: Kagome Higarashi, was the most annoying, aspirating, conniving, and intriguing person Inuyasha had ever met in his entire life.. She had woken him up from his fifty year spell induced sleep, gotten him to help her collect the shards of the Shikon no Tama
1. Mussings of a Hanyo

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or it's affiliated characters, sad but tru. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Bandai. Of course I do claim my own rights to this particular story, and any original characters I happen to throw in here.

AN : This is a lil something I've had penciled out for about a year now, and only recently have I actually been inspired enough to take it out to try and make something of it. That's right, after being a side-liner for this long, I've finally decided to try my hand at my own Inuyasha ficcy. Oo I'm scared, are you? This part has been released completely un-beta'ed so please be kind with spelling/grammar you may find. I've tried to clean it up the best I can, but there's always something that's been missed. That said, hope you enjoy it, its my current brain-child ;P

Red String

By Eden

Prologue

It was dark, and as most nights went, this was normal. It was also extremely quiet, but for some reason it wasn't a normal quiet. It was a thick quiet that seemed to settle over Inuyash's thoughts on this night that seemed like so many had before it. The forest, that was usually alive with the sounds of wildlife, no matter what the time of day, seemed to be completely devoid of sound, as though there was something out among the trees that deswaided any activity. And the smell, . . . He hated it. There wasn't a single trace of an ominous presents on the wind for him, upwind or down wind, his normally sensitive nose wasn't able to pick up a trace of anything out of the ordinary.

But of course that was exactly the point wasn't it? The very reason for the abnormality of this particular night wasn't really an abnormality at all, well at least not with the forest. It was with himself.

It was the same feeling he had every night of the new moon for as long as he could remember, and he knew that it would be the same way for as long as he lived, or until he could find a way to change it. His human night, the one true bane of his existence. How he had cursed the fate that was brought upon all half demons such as himself, to suffer for one night of complete vulnerability.

He knew he would be lying to himself if he though that every half demon really had the same feelings such as him, but none the less, he knew he couldn't be completely wrong in assuming that it wasn't something anyone would look forward too.

For the majority of his life, he was essentially a dog-demon. He had the heightened sense of touch, smell and sight, as well as his razor sharp reflexes and obvious in-human strength. The only tell-tail sign of his half human heritage being the sight of his pointed white ears atop his head. He could sneer and battle with the best of demons and prove himself a worthy opponent, teaching those who would expect nothing from a weakling hanyo how wrong they were to judge him.

Of course, proving demons wrong about your strength was fine and well, but after a while of being the one to come out of confrontations on top, anyone would be bound to make a few enemies. And even then, having a few rivals was good, it kept one's reflexes sharp, taught one not to let their guard down for a moment, lest you become the unsuspecting target of a surprise onslaught.

The only time this approach failed, was when you could not prevent a weakened state. Because as Inuyasha had found, no matter how badly someone wants to, you just can't fight some things, no matter how much you want to.

The half demon sighed and looked off into the completely darkened forest. He wasn't just thinking about his physical weaknesses on this particular new moon. It had become more then just routine at this point for his thoughts to turn to a certain human girl on nights like this, who had come into his life like a whirlwind and left it just as suddenly.

Kagome Higarashi, was the most annoying, aspirating, conniving, and intriguing person Inuyasha had ever met in his entire life. She had woken him up from his fifty year spell induced sleep, gotten him to help her collect the shards of the Shikon no Tama that she herself had managed to break, had come with him and their mismatched band of friends to kill the most vial demon who had ever existed, and just as things had begun to sink into a comfortable sort of routine, she had left, gone back to her own time, and her old life.

At first Inuyasha had been furious at her, at the way she had decided to leave, even after they had quarreled about her responsibilities, and which ones should take precedence. How could she be so rash in deciding the best course of action on her own, how was she sure it was even the right one? What if she could never come back to the Feudal Era! All these were things he had shouted at her, all of which were met with Kagome's tears and apologies before Inuyasha helplessly watched her swing herself over the lip of the Bone Eaters Well for the last time.

Oh yes, he had been angry, and more then a little hurt. Inuyasha had thought there was an understanding between him and Kagome that she would wait a while before heading back to her own time, take some time to think things through before she tried the well. Hell, he'd thought that she would at least give him some warning before she decided to send herself home for possibly the last time. She didn't think that maybe there had been things he had wanted to say to her, things he may have wanted to explain, . . .

But perhaps those were thoughts best left in the past.

Inuyasha sat up straighter in his tree-top perch within the dark leafy limbs of Goshinboku. The years had taught him that dwelling on such things did nothing to change the past, and in fact, only seemed to make the present worse. He had come to terms with the fact a long time ago that Kagome had done what she felt she needed to do, and perhaps she had been smarter then he had given her credit for at the time. She had chosen to take the plunge and try and go home even though it was a possibility she would never be able to come back, she had said her farewells, and had taken responsibility for her decision.

The others had all understood why Kagome had decided to go back to her home and school. Miroku, Sango, Shippo and Kaede had all had a chance to say farewell, and wish the girl good luck. Inuyasha had screwed up royally, and had made they're farewell harder on both of them.

"_Am I supposed to be happy for you? Is that really what you want from me Kagome? You want me to be happy about the fact that theirs a good chance none of us will ever see you again?"_

Inuyasha cringed inwardly at the recollection of the harsh words he'd spoken to her out of bitterness that last day. There was only so much he could slouch off on his youth and feelings. Some regrets he could never come to terms with. All he could do was push them back into the hidden recesses of his mind, and pray to whatever God that would listen, to give him a second chance with her.

And that was his ultimate folly, allowing himself to believe in a second chance. What form of fate would allow such an unworthy creature such as him; believe something like that was even possible? Ah, but fate was known to be cruel, it was the one from which past deeds and actions could never be hidden.

Without warning a sneeze erupted from the presently human half inu-youkai. Absently he rubbed at his nose with the sleeve of his newly acquired Haori. As far as Inuyasha was concerned, that was all it was good for anyways. It was in no way comparable to his old fire rat, no matter what Sesshoumeru said. It just didn't feel right to be wearing something else.

Raising his eyes to stare at the darkened moon, Inuyasha allowed his thoughts to turn to Kagome one last time for the night. His first meeting with her had been strange fate, those first waking moments while he was still pined to the God-Tree with the spell-binding arrow were some of the few he would never forget. The look in Kagome's eyes as she looked up at him in surprise was both a shock to him as well as a relief somehow. He knew for certain now what he refused to believe then, that even in those first few moments, he had known that she wasn't Kikyo. Kagome's face had always been much more expressive of the emotions that she was feeling, and always had an underlying kindness to it that Kikyo's had sometimes lacked. Of course, some form of logic had taken over in those first instances and overridden his instincts; if she wasn't Kikyo, then who on earth was she?

The two of them may have gotten off to a rocky start, what with him trying to kill her over the Shikon jewel and all, but as time wore on, and they spent more time together, Inuyasha began to slowly be drawn to her. First out of necessity, then curiosity and finally it was because of protectiveness. He had never been sure what caused him to first start to feel protective towards someone whom he barely knew, but there had always been something about her, be it stupidity or her near incomprehensible kindness towards practically everyone they came across that made Inuyasha want to keep her safe.

For the most part during their long search to find the shards of the Shikon jewel, Inuyasha was so preoccupied with keeping the silly girl from the future safe, that he didn't even notice when his feelings first began to change towards her. In some ways, it felt like he went from thinking about her as a clumsy tag along to a reason to keep pushing forward to better himself overnight. He couldn't pin point the moment when he began to enjoy the way her body molded to his when he carried her on his back, or when he started to enjoy spare moments spent alone with her without the company of the others, but that didn't seem to matter.

He had been far too young and stupid to think that it would be able to last forever. Once the jewel was completed and the abominable Naraku was defeated, Inuyasha was forced to finally start to facing up to his increasing feelings for Kagome. He was self deluded into thinking that Kagome would stay in the feudal era long enough for him to get up the nerve to tell her what he had been hiding from himself for so long. What he hadn't counted on was Kagome's feelings of responsibilities to those she had left in her own time.

It wasn't supposed to end the way it had, Inuyasha hadn't even considered the fact that Kagome would choose to go back to her own time rather then stay in the past with him and the others. It wasn't what fate had truly decided on, was it? Was he truly fated to find and loose the soul he loved not once, but twice?

If it was, then Inuyasha would have preferred the dead sleep provided by the cursed arrow shot by Kikyo to the dull and aching gap left in his heart by the loss of Kagome. At least the first time he hadn't been conscious for the pain.

Eden


	2. Recollections of Goodbye

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or it's affiliated characters, sad but tru. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Bandai. Of course I do claim my own rights to this particular story, and any original characters I happen to throw in here.

Red String

By Eden

Chapter One: Recollections of Goodbye

"_Kagome, why?" Inuyasha was holding the girl by the shoulders, his claws digging into her arms slightly as he demanded answers._

_Her eyes were downcast, she couldn't bring herself to meet the Hanyo's gaze, knowing that the moment she did so, her resolve would immediately crumble. She had never attempted something like this before, not even during the most vicious of the arguments between Inuyasha and herself, and not even after the time she had caught him together with Kikyo under the Goshinboku._

"_I have to do this," Kagome's voice was barely over a whisper, "I know it will be for the best."_

_Inuyasha's sensitive hearing picked up every word. "How is this for the best?" he sneered back at her, shaking her once to emphasis his point. "How is running away going to solve anything?"_

_Anger suddenly boiled in her veins. Who was he to talk about cowardice? He, who could couldn't even make up his mind about which Miko he preferred or how he felt about each of them. "I'm not running away!" she shouted up at him, capturing his golden gaze with her own steely one. "The Shikon no tama has been reassembled and Naraku is dead. You don't need me anymore!"_

_He looked shocked for a moment, his face lost the hard expression, and he blinked once. "Don't need you anymore?" The anger flashed back into his eyes. "What about the runt then, hmm? You think HE doesn't need you anymore? You're the closest thing he has to a mother. Sango and Miroku will-"_

"_-Will be fine!" Kagome couldn't help yelling back at Inuyasha when some of the anger she was feeling turned into aspiration. "I spoke with everyone this morning. None of them want to see me go either, but they UNDERSTAND! They understand how important it is for me to go home to TRY and pass my entrance exams and to get into a good university."_

_Inuyasha slowly took a breath in, and was about to continue with his earlier yelling, but Kagome cut him off before he had a chance to start this time._

"_Don't bring Shippo into this again. His reaction was much more mature then yours so far."_

_He shut his mouth and released Kagome's arms with a loud "Keh!" and turned around so she could no longer see his face. With a few short but smooth movements he had increased the distance between them by a few steps, and had shoved his hands into his billowing sleeves._

_Kagome sighed, she hadn't been sure exactly what kind of reaction her decision was going to bring out of Inuyasha, but after last night, after the long talk they'd had, she had at least harbored hopes of understanding from the silver haired hanyo. "I really thought you would take this better." She finally voiced aloud._

"_How was I supposed to take this?" Inuyasha whipped his head to the side so that Kagome could see one narrowed golden eye glaring at her from behind a silver fringe. "Am I supposed to be happy for you? Is that really what you want from me, Kagome? You want me to be happy about the fact that theirs a good chance none of us will ever see you again?"_

_Her heart seized up inside her chest. She felt her jaw drop open as the blood left her face. Kagome could feel her body go cold as the shock of Inuyasha's words set in. They were true of course; everyone knew it, including herself. Now that the Shikon jewel was completed, and had successfully been purified out of existance, once she dropped down the bone eaters well, there should be no reason why she should be able to come back through. She just hadn't been ready for Inuyasha's blunt rendition of the facts._

"_I-" She tried to talk around the lump that had formed in her throat. "I- . . . no. No that's not what I want at all." Kagome closed her eyes and shook her head._

"_Well I don't know what you want from me. It sounds like you've already made your decision about this."_

_His voice was as hard and his tone as sharp as his razor claws._

_He had succeeded again in shocking her speechless. Kagome's eyes popped open to try and see what was going across his face, to try and see what he was really feeling, but he had already turned back to face the trees on the other side of the clearing._

_It was the first time she had actually noticed their surroundings since she had come outside with Inuyasha. It was late spring, so everything in the forest surrounding them was a fresh new green, the trees had already budded out, and the ground was covered with new sprigs of soft grass. The early wild flowers had already died and shriveled to make way for both the summer flowers and the inevitable weeds. The Sakura trees in the village had all blossomed and lost most of their pale pink petals in the spring rains and gentle breezes. The few remaining blossoms clung to the branches fiercely as though protesting the inevitable changing of seasons, refusing to join their fallen sisters till the last possible moment. _

_When they had set out from Kaede's hut the sun had just begun its downward descent towards the horizon. Now the shadows under their feet had stretched to twice their owner's height, and the sky had darkened to a dark purple that blended with the bright oranges of the sun's dying rays._

_It wasn't surprising to Kagome that when Inuyasha and she had set out for their walk, they had ended up in the clearing that surrounded the well in question. It was one of the two places they always seemed to gravitate towards. It of course, depended on which one of them needed to talk._

_Kagome had always felt equally safe around the well and Goshinboku. The well though, it represented security to her, that no matter how badly things had been going for them on their quest to find the shards of the sacred jewel or in hunting down Naraku, home was always there. She always had the choice to go home, to reaffirm her sense of purpose, before diving back into the turbulence and confusion of the feudal era once more._

_Inuyasha tended to retreat to the branches of the Goshinboku whenever he needed time to think. Despite the fact that he had been pinned to the side of the leafy giant for fifty years, Kagome had always noticed the calming effect it seemed to have on the easily irritable hanyo._

_She'd felt the same thing long before she'd first tumbled down the bone eaters well. She had always felt the strong aura surrounding the tree, making it seem as though it really was a time tree like her grandfather always said it was, a tree that transcended the centuries._

_As a matter of fact, aside from the well that she had pulled herself out of that first day so long ago, the Goshinboku was a surprisingly welcome and familiar landmark. The tree itself had been the very thing that had led Kagome to her first glimpse of the silver-haired hanyo. Of course that was all in the past, and best left for another day of reminiscing._

_What the tree meant to Inuyasha? Kagome supposed that it represented one of the greatest turning points in his life. Being pinned to it for as long as he had been would understandably create an invisible bond and bring about a feeling of unquestionable comfort. If that wasn't it, then Kagome was at a loss as to why he spent so much time near it as he did._

_Perhaps she should've gone to the Goshinboku for this talk. Inuyasha looked like the bit of comfort the tree may have provided would've been welcome. Right now the Bone Eaters Well was nothing more then the visual representation of impending, and incredibly possible, permanent departure. Kagome didn't suppose Inuyasha needed anymore reminders. He was taking this news in the worst possible way, and was driving her even more firmly into her resolve to go through with her decision._

"_I have made my decision, Inuyasha." Kagome finally answered the question. "The only thing I had hoped to get from you was your understanding." She felt her shoulders slump a bit. She was tired of fighting with him._

"_Understanding?" he scoffed, his back still towards her. "I understand all that I need to. Your going home, back to your tests that keep you up worrying all night; back to that city with things even more dangerous then some youki, and your leaving behind your friends, the people who've traveled with you and fought with you up till now."_

_Kagome had never heard Inuyasha sound like this before, his words so harsh, spoken with enough force and bite to cut her to the quick. What had happened to the kind, somewhat arrogant, but nevertheless caring Inuyasha she had come to know and care for in return over the last two years? 'He's hurt' a voice of reason whispered to her. 'He's hurt that your leaving, and he's taking out his hurt on you.'_

_A part of her believed the voice of reason, but another part of her, the defensive part that had been hurt by her own optimism before, was unsure and hurt once more, and this time by Inuyasha's searing words._

"_I'm not abandoning you," Kagome said quietly, "It's just that I'm not sure what I'm supposed to do here now that the two things we set out to do are done. There are still things I need to do in my own time though, my family to think of-"_

"_What are we!" Inuyasha whipped his body around in his anger and frustration to burn his gaze into hers. Even in the dying sunlight, the look was fierce enough to make Kagome straiten her slouched stance and widen her eyes in response._

"_The five of us have done everything together for nearly 2 years. We've lived together, traveled together and fought together. Hell with that," He clenched one clawed hand at chest level "We've DEPENDED on each other! How can you just throw something like that away? How can you walk away after all that we've been through?"_

_Tears began to build behind Kagome's eyes as she stared across the clearing at the one person in the world she didn't want to hurt. "Do you think this is easy for me to do? Do you truly think I want to leave after all that's happened, and all that we've done together? I don't. I wish with all of my heart that I could just stay here with you, Sango, Miroku, and Shippo and just see what life has in store for all of us. But I can't do that. I have another life that I've managed to put on hold for the past two years just so that I could stay here and help with finding the jewel shards and killing Naraku. I put all of that before my family, my education, and my own life._

"_I've loved every moment of the time I've spent here, and I'm going to miss everyone terribly, but Inuyasha, I just don't belong in this time. I'm from the future, I don't have any practical skills that can do any good here with exception to the supplies I can bring through the well, and we both know that without the sacred jewel, its only a matter of time before it closes up and refuses to let me pass through it. I don't honestly know if I'd be able to completely abandon my family like that, without a word."_

"_But it's alright to abandon us?"_

_Kagome didn't realize she was crying until she could taste the salty moisture on her lips. She angrily tried to wipe it away with the sleeve of her school uniform, bringing her whole arm up to her face. "Stop saying 'Us' and 'We' Inuyasha. I've already told you, I talked to everyone else; they are actually able to accept my decision, and have wished me good luck. Why can't you quit lying to yourself and just admit that you're the only one who can't accept the fact that I'm actually going to leave!"_

_She didn't need to look at the half demon to know he was staring at her as though she had physically slapped him. When she did finally look up at his face, it was only to see that he was attempting to recover from her words._

"_You," Inuyasha tried to speak around his shock, "You said you wouldn't leave, that you would stay. . ." His words trailed off._

_She thought back to that long ago day when she had told Inuyasha that. It had been after the first time she had found him together with Kikyo in the woods. She had felt so hurt, she had felt like she was being betrayed, but still, she had managed to shoulder her grief and growing feelings for Inuyasha when she had uttered those words to him. "Your right, I did promise I would stay with you, that I would stay by your side Inuyasha. I wanted to be there if you ever needed me, and I wanted to feel like you would do the same for me. I was wrong in so many ways. I thought I was okay with the fact that you still cared about Kikyo, and that you would never be able to look at me the same way you look at her. I thought I would be okay just being near you, but as time passes, I realize that it's not okay, it's not okay with me at all."_

_Kagome raised a hand to wipe away a few stray tears that had still managed to leak from her betraying eyes. "You don't need me here anymore to complicate your life."_

"_No, you can't go, Kagome-"_

_While Inuyasha struggled for words, Kagome had managed to cover the short distance between them and embraced him fiercely around the waist. "You've become so much more to me then just a friend during all this time. I can't help the way I feel about you, and I also can't help feeling the way I do about going home. Its something I just have to do, no matter what."_

_She relished the rough feeling of Inuyasha's fire rat under her cheek for a moment before she partially detached herself and began to pull away. She wanted to remember him; she wanted to know him one last time before she never saw him again. Hesitantly she reached up to Inuyasha's face and pushed away a silver strand that had fallen over his eye. She took a deep breath in and smiled sadly. "You always smell so good, like the wind and the forest." She hesitated and then added, "I'll miss you, Inuyasha."_

_It seemed as though Inuyasha was finding it near impossible to move or speak, his arms held loosely at his sides, his face a mask of confusion. It was almost painful for Kagome to look at, knowing that she was the cause of this. Without warning the tears began to leak from the corners of her eyes once more. "I'm so sorry Inuyasha."_

_It was an impulsive thing to do, and she had never been an incredibly impulsive person. The action did more then startle her a little, but she had little time to consider just how much it truly meant. With the hand that was already holding Inuyasha's cheek, Kagome managed to pull his face down a short ways so that she could reach it with her own. A quick flash of surprised golden eyes was all she saw before she shut her own and softly pressed her lips against Inuyasha's in a chaste kiss. When she pulled away and opened her eyes again, she saw the look of surprise written all over the Hanyo's face, but she didn't take the time to do more then that before she detached herself from him and turned to move back towards the well. _

_She had brought her large yellow back pack with her when she and Inuyasha had started out for their walk earlier, and it had been carelessly dropped next to the well during the beginning of their conversation. She bent down now to retrieve it and drop it through the well. Kagome saw the familiar pink light that told her it had passed back into her own time. This was the last time she would stand here, looking down this well from the feudal era. Kagome had now given up trying to stop the flow of tears that continued to stream from her eyes._

"_Kagome . . ." Inuyasha's voice came softly from behind her._

'_Show me you care Inuyasha, show me your feelings and just maybe . . .' Kagome knew she was fooling herself. She wouldn't change her mind, she needed to go home, but she couldn't help hoping for the impossible._

_One last look up to the beautifully clear sky, now with the first stars of the night dotting it, "I'll never forget you, not for as long as I live." She turned back towards Inuyasha for the last time. "I'm so sorry, thank you for everything."_

_As she pushed herself over the lip of the well, and felt her body becoming weightless as it fell, Kagome thought she could hear Inuyasha shout something from behind her, but it didn't matter now, it was too far past the time when simply words would change anything._

_She felt the familiar passing between worlds, the warm feeling of the pink light enveloped Kagome and for the moment made her feel like she was doing more then simply heading home for the last time. She was leaving a part of herself behind in the past, a part that she was afraid she wouldn't find again._

_As soon as she felt the soft dirt under her knees, Kagome knew that it was truly over; she was back in her time for good now. There wouldn't be anymore Inuyasha jumping out at her, demanding she come back to the feudal era to continue with their quest, no more warm little Shippo curled up at her side during the cold nights spent outdoors. No more gossiping and laughing with Sango about the foolish antics of their male counterparts, no more jokes shared with Miroku, and no more bits of useful knowledge passed from Kaede._

_Powerful sobs began to shake her frame, and forced her to lean against the inside wall of the well. "You stupid idiot Inuyasha, I'm going to miss you more then anything." Kagome whispered to herself amidst her sorrow. _

_oOoOoOoO_

Kagome woke up suddenly, startled by the dream she had been having. She raised a hand to wipe at the tears that had been leaking out of the corners of her eyes. It had been so vivid, almost as though she had been reliving the whole event.

She struggled to regain control of her soft sobs. The feelings she thought she had gotten over so many years ago had managed to resurface with a vengeance, making it feel as though she really hadn't progressed past that long ago time in her life.

Flipping the covers off of her legs and swinging them over the side of the bed she shuffled her feet around for a few minutes as she tried to find her slippers. Once found, Kagome slipped them onto her feet, and reached towards the foot of the bed to grab her dressing gown that she'd discarded there when she'd gone to sleep that evening. She pulled it on over her pajamas as she left her room and padded down the short hallway towards the kitchen.

How long ago had it been since she had thought about that day?

Kagome had decided that she was desperate need of calming. There was no possible way she was going to be able to get back to sleep after that dream without something to sooth her nerves. The best thing Kagome could think of in this situation was a hot cup of tea.

As she put the water on the water on to boil, and gathered up the few other things she needed from the cupboards, Kagome tried to think about anything other then the dream that had managed to wake her from an otherwise peaceful slumber.

Absently, she looked around the room as she waited for the water to boil. It was a basic kitchen, it had a small sink under an equally small window, a stove and an olive fronted oven, and only had enough counter space for one person to cook comfortably at a time. Kagome kept the space as clean as possible to avoid it looking smaller then it truly was. Above the window she'd hung a gathered valance of dark blue and matched her kitchen chair cushions. It was all that could be done to brighten up the small room. The land lord didn't allow any of the tenants to paint the walls any color other then white, much to Kagome's silent dismay.

Once the water had boiled and Kagome was seated in one of the two chairs at the kitchen table with her cup of tea, she began to think back on the dream that had caused her to wake up.

"Inuyasha . . ." The name rolled off her tongue so easily even after all this time. The clenching in her stomach came back just as easily. The almost unbearable sorrow that had kept her out of school for nearly a month after she had finally made it home had always seemed to be lurking just under the surface of her thoughts. It had gotten much easier to deal with as time passed. It became easier to push down as well, and it had been a long time since she had felt it quite this strongly.

"It's been eight years Kagome; you have to let it go." She rubbed at her forehead, trying to ward off the headache she could feel starting to come on.

She'd finished her last year of high school, managed to come out alright on most of her university entrance exams thanks to extra tutoring that her mother had gotten for her, and had gone into teaching, majoring in Japanese history and folklore. Four years later she'd graduated, and had managed to get a job at a high school across the city. It was hard at first when she'd realized that taking the job would mean moving out of the family shrine and into a small apartment of her own, but Kagome was determined to do it.

In all this time Kagome had managed to avoid getting involved with anyone of the opposite sex. There had been plenty of dates of course, her friends always managed to find men who they thought would suit her.

It had started a year after Kagome had permanently come back to her own time, about half way through her first year of university. Her friends had known immediately that something had happened between her and her 'boyfriend' as soon as she had first come back to high school full time, but had needed to fill in the details on there own because Kagome refused to elaborate on the situation. As the year passed; they also decided that a girl of Kagome's age had spent far too much time brooding after the loss of her first boyfriend.

They began innocently enough by merely introducing Kagome to many of the young men on campus, dropping subtle hints about how single and available Kagome was. When that plan failed to attract the needed results they were looking for, they changed tactics.

Her friends next plan involved setting Kagome up on a long series of blind dates with carefully selected young men. They were hoping that they would come up with at least a couple good matches, and perhaps even a few guys who were deemed to be worth another chance, of course no matter how careful they were, they couldn't manage to find anyone that rated a second date in Kagome's mind.

As date after date turned out to be unsuccessful, they decided they were going about it all the wrong way. They tried to enlist Kagome's help; tried to find out what sort of qualities she was looking for in a man, but she was unwilling and unable to help the way they were hoping. So after copious amounts of brainstorming and good hard thinking, they came up with their new plan of attack. What they needed to do was to find the sort of man Kagome needed, someone who was completely opposite of her old, arrogant, loud, and disrespectful boyfriend. And after much searching, they finally found the one they were looking for.

It was a year after they had graduated from university. They decided that if this date didn't work for at least a little while, they would give up trying to set up their friend while she was obviously not interested in trying a new relationship. Kagome didn't have any better expectations for this particular man then the last ones, but as always, she agreed to go out and see what happened.

His name was Arashi. He worked in his family's drug store as a pharmacist, was a couple years older then Kagome's 23, but an age difference didn't bother her. He was nearly six feet tall, had a slender build and he wore his dark hair in a longish style that hung over his dark eyes slightly. When Kagome met him for the first time though, it was his smile that won her over.

Arashi had been a perfect gentleman the first time they had gone out. He'd made polite conversation, told her a bit about himself; asked about her, but never asked anything Kagome had wanted to avoid talking about, leaving her to believe he may've been warned by her friends. The thought didn't bother her as much as it might've in different circumstances. He'd made her laugh; a good real laugh that made her truly smile.

After dinner and a pleasant walk through a nearby park, Kagome had agreed to another date.

During the first month Kagome found herself feeling more comfortable and at ease with Arashi. He was so carefree, so kind and polite with her. She felt as though she was the most important thing in the world when she looked into his eyes. On top of that it was easy to carry on a conversation with him without having to pretend to be interested in what he wanted to talk about; he never tried to impress her with the typical male power trips. He was refreshingly honest and open minded.

When the relationship grew from casual dating to a steady relationship, no one was more surprised then Kagome. They were able to be together and enjoy themselves just as well in a high class restaurant as they could sitting home in sweats watching a rented movie.

The more time that passed with Kagome dating Arashi, the less she found herself looking back in sadness about Inuyasha. The less time she spent thinking about Inuyasha and the feudal era, the more she found she was able to truly enjoy the life she had made for herself in her time. As Kagome's mindset and outlook on life became more optimistic, her family and friends began to see the reemergence of the old happy Kagome. And the more others began to notice and comment on it, the better Kagome felt about herself.

She was finally happy again; she had finally found something outside of the feudal era that could make her feel like herself again. After so many years of just existing in a suspended state of unfeeling, she finally felt as though she could live.

It went without saying that she had never mentioned to Arashi about Inuyasha. He knew of course that she had an earlier relationship years before that had ended badly and that was her reason for not getting involved with anyone up to this point in her life, but he never learned anything past that. Kagome wasn't about to enlighten him either. For obvious reasons, trying to explain the old situation would only complicate things in a way she wasn't interested in doing.

After two years of dating now, Kagome was twenty five years old, and could finally say her life was heading in a respectable direction. She had a good job at the school she taught at, she loved her students and her co workers. She still had the most wonderfully understanding and supportive family anyone could ask for, and friends who could be counted on for anything. On top of all that, she was dating one of the most caring and kind men she had ever met in her entire life. Kagome had her health, was loved, and had found happiness. Anyone looking into her life would say she had exactly the sorts of things that most people struggled for all their lives.

They would especially be saying that if they had known that only that evening Arashi had proposed to her.

He had surprised Kagome with the proposal over dinner at the same restaurant they had gone out to on their first date. In truth, she should've clued in as soon as he had told her his plans for that evening. Arashi had said he'd wanted to make sure their two year anniversary was special for both of them. Sometimes she could be so dense.

Of course, because she was so unprepared for the proposal, she had been unable to speak, let alone answer once the question had been asked. She knew it hurt Arashi when she had asked him for some time to think about it; but she simply didn't trust herself to answer.

After Arashi had take her home that evening, she'd gone into her apartment and tried to figure out what was wrong with her. The most logical parts of her brain told her that this was exactly what she wanted, that this was what she needed to move forward in her life and to leave the past where it belonged. Wasn't Arashi everything that she had hoped for in a man and more?

At the beginning of that night Kagome would've agreed with that assessment. She had been mostly happy with the way Arashi treated her over the last two years, he'd given her more then enough attention, and they always had a good time. She'd even though she'd loved him, but now she wasn't so sure.

Kagome looked down at the mug in her hands, the tea in it now cold. She was happy yes, but if she was completely honest with herself, she had felt as though she had been missing something for a long time. Instead of trying to find out what it was, she'd ignored it, dismissed it as unimportant. The reason why these feelings were coming back now was because of her inability to face her feelings to begin with.

Her hands griped the cold ceramic more tightly as though she could grip onto the happy little bubble she'd been living in for the past two years through the painted handle and keep pretending Arashi hadn't made the move to making their relationship more permanent.

For the second time tonight, Kagome felt tears forming under her eyelids. She wasn't totally sure she was able to move forward even now after so much time had passed, and after all the things she had done. All it had taken was a proposal from Arashi to make Kagome doubt herself.

The tears now flowed freely from the corners of her eyes, streaming salty paths down her cheeks.

It was then that Kagome made her decision. Tomorrow was Sunday; she would take a trip home, back to the family shrine. She needed to get some things straitened in her mind, and it had been so long since she had allowed herself to go for a real visit. She needed this, and perhaps the sight of all the familiar landmarks and taking a step backwards was what she needed to make this step forward.

The decision made, the raven haired girl got up from her seat at the table, placed her mug into the sink, and headed back down the hallway towards her bedroom. The first thing she did when she got into the room was open the heavy curtains covering the single window. Then after she'd removed her slippers and dressing gown, she lay down under the soft comforter and turned her eyes to look up at the darkened sky.

"The new moon," Kagome whispered to herself softly. The corners of her mouth turned into a small smile. "Stay safe Inuyasha, I'll see you tomorrow."

A/N

Thank you all so much for the incredible words of support I received for the Prologue. I just hope the first real chapter will live up to the expectations people may have

Glomps & Pocky to all

Eden


	3. Past Wanderings

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or it's affiliated characters, sad but tru. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Bandai. Of course I do claim my own rights to this particular story, and any original characters I happen to throw in here.

Red String

By Eden

Chapter 2: Past wanderings

The day was bright and the forest was alive with the many sounds of wildlife living within as it usually is regardless of the weather. Birds sang as they soared above the leafy canopy while chipmunks chirped at one another as they jumped from branch to branch, already hard at work foraging food for next winter. Farther into the trees past the denser foliage, sensitive ears could pick up the small sounds of sleek deer grazing the short grasses with the spring foals.

In amidst the greenery and animal sounds a fiery haired youngster steadily made his way along a lone pathway. His face was contorted with concentration on something that couldn't be seen. The truth was, not but a few minutes ago, Shippo had felt the surge of an old and familiar power that had brought him to his current position.

He'd lifted his head up from the pile of firewood he'd been busy chopping and wiped one arm across his forehead as he considered it. It was only a flash; he could even be imagining things. He pushed the thought out of his mind with a shrug of his shoulders, deciding to dismiss it as nothing. The day had been warm and he'd been busy working on one thing or another for the villagers since dawn. Perhaps it was time for lunch. Shippo looked down at the few remaining logs to be chopped and smiled. Yes, first logs, then lunch.

Just as he was preparing to lift the axe over his head once more; he felt the same power surge, only this time it was stronger and was accompanied by a faint but incredibly familiar smell. The teenaged fox demon stood frozen. Was this for real, or was someone playing a cruel joke? He had to know for himself.

He dropped the axe still clutched in his hand and had turned to move swiftly into the forest. More specifically he began to move in the direction of the old bone eaters well.

It had been a long time since Shippo had dared to go down the once over-used pathway. Rather, it had been a long time since anyone had dared to venture so casually into the forest without Inuyasha jumping out and ordering them back to town. Surprisingly enough, the easily irritated Inu-hanyo was the last thing on Shippo's mind. He knew for a fact that Inuyasha wasn't anywhere near the village, and hadn't been for the last few days. He'd come by before he'd left and said as much. Shippo knew better then to ask where he'd be going, the question would only be falling on def ears.

Besides; if what Shippo was sensing was for real and not just some sort of desperate illusion; then Inuyasha would be too preoccupied with other things that he wouldn't even notice him seemingly trespassing.

The animal sounds all around him seemed to get louder, his demon senses becoming hyper-aware of his surroundings, hoping to keep alert of any other presence around him besides that which he was moving towards.

As he neared his final destination his heart sped up in anticipation and near painful emotion. He knew how he was going to feel if he was wrong. Disappointment was only the beginning of what would follow if he found himself alone with his betraying senses.

Finally Shippo cleared the tree line and found himself in the clearing that he'd waited in many times before in his youth with Inuyasha and the others. Besides the obvious natural growth that occurs over time, not much had changed. The one thing that did make him cringe was the un kept state of the well.

It was plain that no on, including Inuyasha had touched it in a very long time. There were thick thorny vines growing up from the base, and great green leaves all but consuming the entire well, and almost completely hiding it.

Everyone had known without asking how Inuyasha had felt after the human girl had stepped out of their lives forever; but only after seeing the well could Shippo truly fathom the Inu-hanyo's feelings of abandonment and loss. Without having to take a single step towards the once familiar landmark, Shippo knew that more then likely it hadn't been touched once since the day Kagome had left them.

He pushed the last thought from his mind as another wash of the power he'd been following came over his wiry frame. This time there was no question as to where it had been coming from. The fox demon held his breath and clenched his clawed hands together. The sounds of the forest and his own heart beat rang loudly in his ears, as he struggled to focus on something else, anything that seemed to come from deep within the well.

He waited a long time, it seemed to take an eternity, and just as Shippo was beginning to feel his heart sink in his chest, a small sound floated up from the bottom of the un-used well, causing his heart to leap up once more.

He was unable to bring himself close enough to the well to lean over the lip and look down, preferring instead to sweetly torture himself, allowing himself to wallow in the comforting and wholesome smell and aura he had known so well in his youth.

When the familiar raven head cleared the top of the well, and the moment Shippo's eyes locked with the warm chestnut ones belonging to said head, he couldn't help himself any longer.

oOoOoOoOoO

Kagome had risen early the next morning as she had planned; and set out for the trip across the city to her family shrine. The train ride that was usually the longest and most monotonous trip Kagome usually had to stomach, seemed to go by with extraordinary speed this particular Sunday morning. She'd even managed to reach her destination while the morning sunlight was still slanting through the trees and off of the roof tops.

As she cleared the tall staircase from the street below, Kagome just caught sight of her mother as she stepped out of the house and was sliding the front door closed behind herself.

"Good morning!" she called out, a smile coming to her lips as she watched the dark haired woman turning towards her.

Kagome was rewarded with a bright smile right back when her mother looked across the large courtyard and spotted her. "What a pleasant surprise, Kagome!" I wasn't expecting to see you today, what with you having a late night last night and all."

Feeling her face pale, Kagome met her mother halfway across the courtyard and embraced her. "Why would you say that?"

"Well it was your two year anniversary with Arashi yesterday, wasn't it? I would've thought that he would want to take you out someplace special for the occasion." Her eyes sparkled knowingly.

"Why do I have a feeling you knew what was going on before I did?" Kagome eyed her mother suspiciously.

"Oh Kagome," the older woman laughed. "I did know a bit, but it's not what you think. Arashi is such a polite young man. Would you believe that he came and asked for permission to propose to you? What a sweet thing to do."

Too shocked to move, Kagome could only bring herself to stair blankly at her mother, who was still smiling to herself, thinking how thoughtful her daughter's boyfriend was, and what a wonderful son-in-law-

"Oh dear," Kagome's mother suddenly exclaimed, raising a hand to her mouth. "Could it be that he didn't propose to you last night? Kagome, I'm so sorry-"

Recovering immediately, she shook her head and smiled, trying to lighten the moment. "No, no it's okay. I did know about that already. I was just surprised that you knew about it, and that Arashi actually came to ask permission. That's incredibly old fashioned, don't you think?"

"I thought it was very sweet." The older woman smiled, again relaxed after being assured that she hadn't ruined any surprise. "But since you know about the proposal; that means congratulations are in order!" She reached out to giver her daughter a tight hug. "This also might be a nice time to meet Arashi's family, don't you think? Perhaps I should organize a nice little engagement party for the two of you, wouldn't that be nice dear?"

Kagome pulled back from the embrace reluctantly, not wanting to ruin her mother's good mood. It seemed that she was more excited about this engagement then she would have expected her to be. "No mom, its okay. You don't need to worry about anything like that right now."

"Oh, but I'd love too! It's not everyday I have a daughter getting engaged."

"Then there's something I should tell you," She could feel the guilt crawl across her features as she turned her eyes to the ground. "I haven't said yes yet."

It seemed like forever she silently stood there, feeling her mother's eyes on her, and she felt like a coward, hiding her face, ashamed to have to tell her mother something like that. Before she had a chance to slip any further into her self-induced misery, she felt soft arms pull her into an equally soft embrace, and her mother's voice in her ear.

"Oh Kagome, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to force anything on you. I just thought that you'd be happy about your proposal. I had no idea."

Relief washed through Kagome's veins. "Oh no, it's okay." She sighed silently to herself. "I'm just glad you're not upset with me."

Pulling back a bit, Kagome's mother caught her eye in a comforting look. "What do I have to be upset about? You're my daughter Kagome; all I want is for you to be happy. If you can do that, then I'm happy too." She could see the smile alighting into her mother's features.

She could feel a grateful smile coming over her own face in response to the supporting words. "Thank you."

* * *

A short time later Kagome found herself walking through the shrine grounds on her own. Her mother had left to do some shopping, and although she'd offered to help. Her mother had shook her head and insisted Kagome enjoy the beautiful morning outside. Secretly Kagome was sure she knew what the true reason for her visit was. 

After heading inside the main shine building, lighting a stick of incense and muttering a short prayer, she left the place of worship to the daily visitors. There were other things she wanted to see today.

It didn't take long to cross the courtyard once more so she was standing on the flagstones in front of a small fenced off area with a large tree standing in the center. Goshinboku. The little paper streamers tied around its great trunk fluttered in the breeze. The tree stood just as tall and proud as she remembered, and it probably would for as long as she drew breath in this world. This was exactly the place that she needed to be right now.

Kagome closed her eyes and rested her hands on the wooden fence that surrounded the tree. As she breathed in, she could feel the familiar calm aura come over her. Over the years the things she thought about while standing under the peaceful tree hand changed. When she was very young, she could remember thinking of her mother and the warm embrace of her arms. Later she just thought of her family in general and happily acknowledging the fact that they would always be together. As she got older her friends became very important to her, and it always brought a smile to her face to think of a shared joke or the fact that she had found people outside of her family she could count on.

Her comforting thoughts of friends and family stayed the same for a long time. She finished junior high and started her first year of high school before things suddenly changed. Of course, Kagome didn't even notice the change in her feelings at first. It wasn't until about a month and a half after the first time she fell through the bone eaters well that she noticed for the first time how often her thoughts turned in another direction.

Kagome could almost see the figure of her silver haired hanyo in her mind as he leaned against the Goshinboku, his Tetsaiga1 clutched possessively in one clawed hand. It was such an easy thing to do, to call up an image of Inuyasha. She could even see the dark outline of his closed eyes beneath the silver fringe of his bangs, and the gentle scowl that touched his soft looking lips, even when he wasn't aware of it.

A lazy smile drifted across Kagome's own features as she opened her eyes to see the empty tree before her. She wouldn't lie to herself, she missed him, and at times after she had come home it had felt as though she had been ripped apart from the inside. It had taken a long time to come to grips with the fact that she had left the feudal era for good, but as time passed, the agonizing ache had gradually become a dull throb, ever present in her heart, but easier and easier to shunt to the side.

She found herself becoming amused at the memories of all the things Inuyasha had done to make her mad over the years they had spent together, and it felt good. It was good to have the fond memories of him, even when he acted like an idiot.

The sound of voices approaching from the street staircase invaded her relaxing reflecting thoughts and made Kagome push herself back from the wooden fence. Today she just didn't feel up to dealing with regular people, she didn't feel like making small talk, and smiling at the simple remarks that people always made about the shrine.

As the voices drew nearer, Kagome looked around hurriedly for someplace she could go and continue reflecting on her own without interruption. Her thoughts trailed off as her seeking eyes landed on a small building off to the far side of the courtyard. "The well house," Kagome murmured to herself softly as her feet began to take her in its direction. "It's been so long."

She could tell when the people who had been climbing the stairs from the street had finally made it to the top, their voices carried clearly across the large space. Kagome wasn't concerned about them anymore; she knew that she was far enough away that they wouldn't pay attention to her. Her undivided attention was now focused on the small wooden structure before her, slowly getting nearer with each foot fall.

The closer she came to the well house, the more she questioned whether or not she wanted to actually open the long avoided door and step inside.

Finally her feet slowed, and then stopped. She stood directly in front of it now, the one part of the shrine she had pointedly avoided for so long. Would it really help her to stop avoiding it now after all this time?

She might've debated with herself over this single issue for longer then she could fathom standing outside the sliding wooden door. Her curiosity and the part of herself that would never forget all that she had done while she was a teenager, against the now mature, stubborn part that thought it was best to let sleeping dogs lie. Yes there was a good chance that she would be fighting a dead-locked battle within herself, but fortunately she was saved from that fate the moment she heard a familiar wizened croak carry across the court yard from the direction of the family house.

Kagome's first instinct was to freeze. Had he seen her yet? She wasn't exactly looking forward to being caught reminiscing over old memories by her grandfather of all people.

Her worries were alleviated when the visitors who had come up from the street answered back in a cheerful manner.

With the personal battle now decided for her by outside forces, Kagome slowly eased opened the sliding door that stood before her to further avoid detection. As she did so, she thought guiltily that more then likely the only reason why she hadn't been seen by her grandfather was because of his steadily declining vision.

Kagome only opened the door wide enough so that she could slip inside the well house, no wanting to test her luck any further then she had so far today.

Once Kagome had slid the well house door closed, she couldn't help but hold her breath. She'd only glanced around the small enclosure as she'd stepped inside before turning around to face the door. From what she'd seen in her first brief glance, everything looked exactly the way she'd left it that long ago day when she'd come home.

But the air; the entire atmosphere of the well house had seemed to change. There was stillness in the air that never used to be there before, and she felt reluctant to shatter it.

Wasn't this what she had come home for? Hadn't she gotten up early this morning, taken the long train ride here so that she could finally face all of these places around the shrine that she had avoided for so long just so that she could feel closer to what she had left behind? Hadn't she been hoping that by facing her painful past memories that she would be able to sort out the conflicting emotions she was having now?

Steeling herself, Kagome let out the breath she had been holding, and turned to face the interior of the well house.

Her initial assessment had been mostly correct. Everything did look the same as it had been on that last day, with exception to the thick layer of dust and the large tangle of near transparent cobwebs hanging down from the ceiling. It wasn't an unexpected sight, but it was a bit of a shock.

Taking in a deep breath, Kagome raised her hand and knocked down the webbing that stood between her and the rest of the enclosure. It wasn't pleasant to feel the sticky strands on her fingers, nor was it any better when she missed some and it ended up getting on her face. Every particle in her body that had hated slimy bugs, wanted to make her turn around and run to the house to get a broom, but she wouldn't let herself leave. "Get a grip, Kagome. The spiders are more afraid of you then you should be of them." She grumbled to herself in an attempt to settle her nerves.

Thankfully it didn't take much longer for her to pass through the tangle of webbing. Kagome stepped down the few short steps onto the dirt floor surrounding the well, taking her time to brush away the remainder of the sticky arachnid silk from her hands and clothes.

The well stood a little dustier then she remembered it being, but other then that, it was the same. The lid was closed, as she had left it on the day she'd come home, and it didn't look as though it had been disturbed at all.

For some reason, that thought hurt. She'd always had some wild fantasy that while she had returned to her own time; Inuyasha may have tried to come up the well from time to time to check up on her, to make sure she was safe. She'd known in the back of her mind that the possibility wasn't likely, but hope was a strange thing. Until now when she could see the proof of the impossibility of her hopes, she had believed it could be true.

Heaving a sigh of discontentment at her unfortunate discovery, Kagome began to lift up the heavy wooden cover from the top of the well. It rasped off to the right and landed on its side in the dirt with a soft thud. Peering into the darkness, Kagome could just make out the bottom. A strange feeling came over her at the nostalgic position she had taken. There was no possible way she could count how many times in the past she'd done exactly this before she'd taken a deep breath and dropped herself down into the darkness.

Most of the time she had simply gone back and forth from the different era's without thinking too much about what she was doing, having other more pressing matters on her mind. But there were the rare occasions when she had stopped to really think about what she was doing. She was just a normal girl, nothing extraordinary had ever happened to her until she'd fallen through the well, and here she was traveling through time, Not just to see the way the feudal era had been, but to live it, to experience it. It was truly mind boggling.

Of course there were some who may argue that she had been anything but a normal human girl. She had in fact been carrying the Shikon no tama within her body unbeknownst to her, and as it turned out, Kagome was also the reincarnation of the legendary miko Kikyo. She had the power to purify tainted objects and to shoot powerful energy-infused arrows. Secretly of course, her favorite ability was being able to subdue the most volatile Inu-hanyo that she'd ever known with a single word.

A grin moved across Kagome's features as she thought about the times that particular ability had come in handy. She'd always tried to control herself, to keep from over-using the spell, but once in a while when her aspiration or anger got the better of her, it was a satisfying end to a discussion.

Her eyes focused again on the deep blackness beyond the lip of the well. It was difficult to remember the countless times she'd been hurried into the well when Inuyasha thought that she'd been gone too long, but she could well remember the rush the Inu-hanyo always seemed to be in, weather or not they had a particular direction or lead to follow.

A sigh escaped Kagome's lips. All this reminiscing, all these memories that she had managed to drudge up with this trip to the shrine, and she had yet to feel as though she was moving past anything. On the contrary, she felt more strongly then ever that she was missing a very big part of herself. Every time her mind shifted to Arashi, the empty part of her heart began to ache for someone else.

She kept talking herself in circles, and it was an exhausting process. She loved Arashi, but not enough to marry him. She missed Inuyasha, but it didn't matter because she couldn't see him.

A madding thought crossed her mind suddenly, what if she jumped down the well now? Since she had come back home of her own violation eight years ago she had never made an attempt to return to the feudal era. Kagome never tried, because she knew how much it would hurt her to know positively that the well was closed to her. She had chosen to live with the small glimmer of hope that beat within her heart, the hope that one day when the time was right she would be able to go back.

She brought her eyes up form the depths of the well and looked across the enclosure, her gaze landing blindly on the bare wooden wall, her mind alighting on one interesting question: when would the time be more right then now?

Kagome felt her face light up along with her mood as the favorable idea once more rolled around in her brain. It would be a simple matter to get up on the edge of the well and simply let herself drop off of the side. She'd done it so many times in the past that her body knew the actions without direction.

There was one small thought in the back of her mind that couldn't quite let go: what if the well didn't work?

It was a small worry at this point, most of the truly logical arguments Kagome had formulated all these past years about why it would possibly be impossible to pass through the time rift had been shoved to the side during the last few moments in the presents of her new found optimism.

She was going back to the feudal era. Kagome could almost smell the fresh air, and feel the soft breezes against her face. She hadn't wanted something this badly for as long as she could remember. Her feelings of longing had grown into a physical need that she had to satisfy. She needed to see Inuyasha.

Taking a deep breath, Kagome attempted to steady herself. She was really going to do it. She stood strait, hands gripping the lip of the well, eyes focused on the deep darkness. This was it, now was the time.

She raised first her right knee, and then her left knee up to the top of the well. She wobbled slightly, but Kagome steadied herself with her hands resting on either side of her knees. Carefully, she moved one leg at a time down so that she was sitting with her feet dangling down the well. Her hands remained braced against the lip on either side of her, waiting for the moment her mind decided she was ready.

Staring down past her feet at the darkness of the well, it occurred to her how normal everything looked. An old dried up well, covered and enclosed in a building for safety reasons perhaps, and here she was; about to jump right into it against all logical reasoning.

At this point though, Kagome realized that many of her reasoning's weren't particularly logical. A portion of her teenaged life had been spent doing things that would not only be considered unusual, but completely impossible. And she was going to see if she could do it all again.

She scooted herself a little further forward so she was seated directly on the edge of the well lip, and took a deep breath in. she let the musty, stagnant smell of the well house pass through her, letting it calm her flip flopping stomach just before she used her hands and pushed herself completely off of the ledge and began her decent.

In the first few seconds of falling, Kagome knew it didn't feel right. She was falling too fast, and she couldn't feel the warm embrace of the pink light that hand signaled the opening of the starry void to the feudal era.

The fall was short, and the eventual landing, though painful, was cushioned slightly by the soft dirt at the bottom of the well. Her feet hit first, the force of the fall forcing her down to her knees, and hands. Kagome was too stunned to move from her kneeling position for several seconds. It hadn't worked; she hadn't changed centuries like she was supposed to, like she knew she should when she dropped down the well.

"Why?" She lifted her hands and slammed them into the dirt. "Why!" Again she raised her hands and assaulted the ground. "Why can't I go through? I need to see him! I need to see Inuyasha!" Kagome was too shocked to do more then rage against the unseen powers that refused to help her.

As she hit the ground open palmed once more, she felt her fingertips brush something fabric-like. She stopped her raging suddenly. What on earth could possibly be at the bottom of the well? Had she left something all those years ago when she had last come home?

Kagome stretched out her hand and found that it was more then a mere scrap of fabric, it turned out to be a pile of something, folded up that her hand now sat on top of. The inside of the well was dark, but she had enough light to see the faint outline of the pile, and reaching out her other hand, she pulled it closer to herself so that she would be able to get a better idea as to what it could possibly be.

She knelt down, legs underneath herself, and brought the pile up so that she could hold it up against the faint light she had. The material was rough, but nice feeling under her hands as she lifted it up to see the color, her curiosity almost consuming her disbelief of not passing through the well the way she knew she should've.

Kagome froze as her eyes adjusted enough to make out the color of the material she held in her hands.

"No, this isn't possible."

Even in the dim light, it was unmistakable. The red color, the familiar rough feeling under her hands, there was nothing else it could be, but still she made her now shaky fingers unfold the top piece off of the pile and hold it up.

The sight of the familiar Haori unfolded in her hands caused the breath to catch in her throat, and made her gasp as she could not possibly deny what she held. It was Inuyasha's fire rat, folded and placed at the bottom of the well by some unknown force of nature she could not fathom.

It all made no sense. "Inuyasha would never give up his fire rat of his own accord, unless-" Kagome shuddered as she thought of something. "-Unless he had no reason for it any longer." She could feel the beginnings of hot tears forming under her eyelashes. She did nothing to stop them. If what she was thinking was true, then going to see Inuyasha was pointless, because Inuyasha was already dead.

She would never see him now, or ever again. It was over forever. Kagome buried her face in the fire rat, ignoring the fact that it was dusty and dirty, and breathed in deeply the lingering smell of Inuyasha's wild existence.

Powerful sobs shook her body, her tears soaked into the haori's material, as Kagome mourned the loss of the one person who had affected her life so deeply that she had never been able to get over him. Images of his silver head and sarcastic smile flashed across her mind making her cry harder. It wasn't fair, he had done so much for everyone, he had done so much for her.

Lowering the haori from her puffy cheeks, and reddened face, Kagome looked around for the rope ladder that had once been her escape from the well after returning home from the other century. There was too much information for her mind to comprehend for one day, too much emotion in this one place, too many memories that she needed time to sort through, she had to get out of this well.

Her body still shook with emotion as she located what she was searching for with her eyes, and stood up, gathering the fabric close to her chest. She grasped the ladder with her free hand and began the slow ascent to the top. She wanted nothing more at this point but to go into the house, and wait for her mother to get home, today had been too emotional and she was tired.

So tired in fact that her foot slipped on the ladder rung once she had gotten about halfway to the top of the well. Kagome's stomach lurched as she realized she was falling back down into the well, and she franticly tried to hold herself up. Her single hand couldn't take the weight of her entire body though, and she fell backwards, back down the way she had come.

Fearing the pain that would come from such a landing, Kagome closed her eyes tightly, and attempted to pull herself into a ball to protect as much of herself as she could from the impact. Even with her eyes closed tightly, she couldn't miss the strange warmness that was creeping over her limbs. When she finally did land at the bottom of the well, it was with a soft feathery flutter, and a gentle thud.

* * *

1 Tetsaiga: I've seen numerous spelling for this sword, I'm just going to use the one I've seen most often.

A/N: I would like to thank everyone who has read and reviewed this ficcy of mine so far. Your kind words and comments mean a lot to me. This chapter took me longer then I expected to get done and out, I think I've finally gotten to a point that I need to perhaps look for someone to beta for me, and give a second opinion on the working chapter. Oo Well all that aside, I hope you enjoy what I managed to come up with for this chapter. I do have chapter 3 started, and it will tie directly to this one. I'm actually really excited where this whole story is going, and hope that some of you manage to stick around to see what I got going on ;P

oGlomps and Pocky to allo

Eden


	4. Unexpected Reunions

Disclaimer: I do not own Inuyasha or it's affiliated characters, sad but tru. They belong to Rumiko Takahashi and Bandai. Of course I do claim my own rights to this particular story, and any original characters I happen to throw in here.

Red String

By Eden

oO

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Chapter 3 – Unexpected Reunions

Inuyasha narrowed his eyes at the large monkey youkai stooping across the clearing from him. After pursuing it from one decimated town to the next for the last few days, he was more then a little sick of this creature after only just setting eyes on it.

It was a large clumsy looking beast standing on its back legs; its shoulders hunched over so that its long arms came forward and supported its weight slightly on its large fists. Thick, course looking fur covered its body. The color was dark, likely stained as such from the dirt and blood it reeked of. Its eyes were half closed, giving it the distinct appearance of dim-wittedness. Everything about it made Inuyasha wonder how on earth it had evaded them for as long as it had.

Standing beside him Sesshomaru lowered his hand that had been resting on the hilt of Toukijin. "I trust you can handle this without my help."

Inuyasha bristled at the underlying meaning to Sesshomaru's words and responded with a loud "Keh!" before turning his attention back to the youkai across the clearing. His face twisted into a smirk as he gripped the hilt of Tetsusaiga and used his thumb to push it up slightly from its sheath.

Unlike when he had spent all his time traveling with Miroku, Sango, Kagome and Shippo; while they searched for the Shikon Shards and before Naraku had been destroyed; Inuyasha found that he didn't have as much reason to pull out his trusty sword these days. Many of the larger more powerful youkai had been absorbed by Naraku in his never ending quest for power, or had gone into hiding, and since his downfall any who had avoided this absorption simply kept to themselves, not causing enough trouble to warrant being hunted down.

The foolish lesser youkai were the ones who caused the majority of the problems now. Things had settled back down into a pattern that was reminiscent of the way things had been before the emergence of the Shikon Jewel and Naraku.

Maybe that was what had led to his decision to do as Sesshomaru had asked, to give up his Fire Rat and don the clothes and armor of his father's house, and patrol the western lands with his brother.

_"I'm suggesting that you do something worthwhile with your pathetic existence other then spending your time pinning after someone who is no longer here. Haven't you spent enough of your life doing just that?"_

Across the clearing, the monkey youkai had begun to finally take notice of Inuyasha. It licked its massive chops, its large tongue lolling about laggardly before smiling in a toothy, disturbing way.

When it spoke at last, its voice came out thick and uneven. "I've never much cared for eating dogs; the hair gets caught in my teeth." It made a good show of raising one large clumsy looking arm up from the ground to brush across its mouth before continuing. "When food finds me though, who am I to turn it down?"

The disturbing smile came across the youkai's face once more as it straitened up and lifted up its other arm and balled both hands into fists, that were easily larger then Inuyasha, and proceeded to pound them together in a display of power. "Come little dog, you cannot fight what fate has in store for you."

"What fate has in store for me, huh?" Inuyasha lowered his head for a moment and closed his eyes as he contemplated the words. "You may be right, but I'm positive that fate, no my pride won't allow me to be taken down by vermin like you." The hand that had been holding Tetsusaiga now pulled the sword from its sheath, and Inuyasha felt its transformation.

His eyes were still closed as he heard the monkey youkai speak once more in its slow, thick voice. "That is an impressive sword to go with your equally strong words. I shall be sure to think of you as I use it to clean my teeth after I have eaten you."

Golden eyes snapped open and glared at the youkai from behind silver bangs. "That's what you think."

The youkai growled in response, pounding its fists together once more before charging towards where Inuyasha stood, with his sword held out before him.

To a casual observer, it may have seemed as though Inuyasha didn't have a chance of winning against such brute strength. But the same observer also wouldn't have seen the fleeting glint in his golden eyes as he saw the crashing reitsu and the invisible scar it formed. Knowing the timing was right; Inuyasha lifted his Tetsusaiga above his head and brought it crashing down in a strong swing, a single phrase issuing from his mouth. Golden light erupted from the blade and tore through the earth, heading directly towards the monkey youkai. There was hardly enough time for the demon to realize what was happening, let alone let out a scream of pain at the impact of the golden power. With a terrific final explosion, the incredible light died out, and Inuyasha sheathed his sword, waiting for the dust to settle. He waited long enough to see the three large deep furrows in the ground, the path of the Kaze no Kizu, as well as the large empty crater at the end of them, confirming that the youkai was no more before turning towards Sesshomaru standing a short ways off, and nodding.

O

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_The woods were fresh with the clean smell of morning dew. It was a bright morning and Inuyasha made his daily patrol through the forest surrounding the village that was home to the miko Kaede. The elderly woman wasn't able to take part in youkai hunting any longer, but she still did what she could whenever illness struck the village._

_Inuyasha had made it his duty to take over for her inevitable shortfalls. He needed to look after the runt anyhow._

_Shippo had decided to stay in the village with Kaede even after Kagome had left and Sango and Miroku decided to do a bit of traveling around together before finding a place to settle down together. He seemed quite happy to live with Kaede in her small hut and help her with everyday duties and chores, and she in turn seemed quite happy to have him around._

_That had been the reason why Inuyasha had stayed around the village as well. He knew that he would've been more then welcome to join Miroku and Sango, but the thought of being around the two of them now, with them married, made his stomach clench._

_He was nothing but glad that they had managed to find happiness in each other, but he had no interest in catching the glances and smiles that would inevitably pass between them._

_Inuyasha looked up as a gust of rather strong wind shook the leaves in the tree tops. Funny, it hadn't seemed windy earlier. He stopped walking for a minute and surveyed his surroundings. He was quite a ways from the village, height up one of the tall cliffs to the north, on an outcropping that had a perfect view of the valley down below. While he took the time to appreciate the villages' picturiqest beauty, the way it was quietly surrounded by rice paddies and a sense of tranquility in the early morning hours, Inuyasha caught a familiar scent._

_Without thinking, he turned around to face the one who had come up behind him. He turned around to face the one who had come up behind him. _

_"Sesshomaru," his half brother's name slipped out of his mouth before he could stop himself. His voice revealing the surprise he felt at being faced with him after so long. "What are you doing here?"_

_It had been five years since the final fight with Naraku, and just as long since he'd seen Sesshomaru. There hadn't been any reason for the two brothers to cross paths once the menace Naraku had been defeated, especially once it became apparent that Sesshomaru's interest in Tetsusaiga was gone._

_Inuyasha noticed that little seemed to have changed in terms of Sesshomaru's physical appearance. His hair, which had always been identical in color to Inuyasha's, still hung long down his back. He still word the white haori and hakema with red accents, heavy looking metal armor covering his chest and the bright yellow obi tied in a loose bow around his waist. His tow swords, Tenseiga and Toukijin were fastened to his left hip, in easy reach for whenever he found the need to use either one._

_Even the cold look of disdain that Inuyasha had become accustomed to seeing on his half brothers face whenever they found themselves dealing with one another was still present. On this day, something was slightly different about it though. It seemed as though the disdain and irritation that was normally clearly directed at him, was this time directed more at the situation Sesshomaru had found him in._

_"How long has it been, Inuyasha?" Sesshomaru's smooth deep voice floated effortless across the distance that separated the two brothers. "How long has it been since that human girl left without a trace? How long are you going to waste away in this forest before you finally realize that she is not coming back?"_

_Any surprise Inuyasha may have felt at the sudden appearance of his brother was quickly dismissed as annoyance and anger began to boil in his veins. His ears turned towards the sides of his head, slightly flattening out, his voice lowered to a growl. "Shut up bastard. You have no idea what the hell your talking about."_

_"Don't I?" Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed slightly. "Don't presume that I'm as stupid as the village of humans you spend your time guarding. I hear the things that are said about you, Inuyasha, but do you?"_

_Mirroring his brother's look, Inuyasha listened. He refused to interrupt, choosing rather to see if there was a point to this speech._

_"Do you know that many of the youkai who used to actually fear crossing you have begun to talk about you as though you are no more then a scared pup with a sword you cannot control. You have become a laughing stock in their eyes."_

_"Keh!" Inuyasha snorted and crossed his arms across his chest. "Are you telling me that you came all the way here to say that? I'm disappointed. You've never been one to mince words, Sesshoumaru." _

_"Are you saying that you would ignore what I've come to say? You truly are a simple creature, hardly worth the time it took to whelp you."_

_Inuyasha felt his claws dig into the palms of his hands as he fisted them in irritation. "What exactly do you suggest I do about it? Chase after every single bastard who's said or thought garbage like that, and prove them wrong? Since when did that sort of thing become your style?"_

_"Don't be a fool, Inuyasha." Sesshomaru's eyes briefly surveyed the landscape before turning back to him. "I'm suggesting that you should do something worth while with your pathetic existence other than spending your time pining after someone who is no longer here. Haven't you spent enough of your life doing that already?"_

_"Why you –" Inuyasha hardly had a change to warm up before he was cut off. _

"_The youkai blood in your veins may be tainted with human, but there is no doubt of your strength. You have proven yourself to be worthy of recognition as your father's son."_

"_Keh! As if I care about that. I hardly even remember the old man." His arms still crossed across his chest, head turned to the side with eyes closed._

_Sesshomaru continued as though he hadn't heard Inuyasha speak. "I've come to offer you a chance to make something of yourself. Your answer matters to me not, but should you choose to accept, you will be expected to comply with my wishes as I am the blood heir to our fathers' lands and position."_

"_And what exactly is it that you're offering to me?" Inuyasha opened one eye and turned his gaze to Sesshomaru._

"_Our father used to rule and protect these lands when he was alive. He used to weed out the troublesome youkai, and generally keep a relative peace between youkai and the humans. He was well respected and very few dared question his position. Since his demise, I have taken his place. I will admit I do not possess the same boundless compassion that our father had for humans and lesser youkai. Regardless, I do ensure that no one youkai gains too much power or influence within these lands, and if the situation demands action, I am not opposed to destroying the offending youkai or human."_

_Inuyasha was stunned. His crossed arms dropped to hang at his sides. It took a moment for his mind to clear before it was able to process what it was Sesshomaru was offering him. He snorted in disbelief before answering. "You've got to be kidding me. You're actually offering me the chance to travel around with you keeping youkai and humans in order?"_

"_I will take your response to mean you are not interested."_

"_No shit, what did you think? Did you really expect me to jump on this idea?"_

_Sesshomaru turned away from Inuyasha, again ignoring his last statement. "I shall not offer this opportunity to you again; but should you change your mind, I'm quite sure you will be able to find me. Until that time, farewell Inuyasha."_

_He was unable to do anything but watch as his brother walked out the clearing and returned to the forest._

"_What the fuck was that?"_

O

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Wind rushed through Inuyasha's long silver hair as he bounded from branch to branch high above the forest floor. His bare feet barely made a sound each time they touched down on another sturdy tree limb. The midsummer afternoon was hot and humid; the chirping of the cicadas was clearly heard through the trees. Inuyasha was saved for the most part from the sun's bright rays beating down on his already perspiring body by the thick tangle of leaves through which he traveled.

He was alone now, as he headed back to the woods surrounding Kaede's village, having left Sesshomaru the day before in the company of his ever faithful retainer, Jaken and the unshakably loyal human girl, Rin.

During the time Inuyasha had spent with his half brother traveling, he'd tried to find out how the human girl had come to be with him. Sesshomaru had flatly refused to comment on the matter, saying only that gossip and pointless speech was best left to females and decrepit elderly. He also pointedly added that since neither of them suffered from either affliction, there was no need to continue the conversation.

The now teenaged Rin had no qualms about speaking freely, although Inuyasha found that he rarely heard the things he was hoping to hear. In fact, it was sometimes difficult to persuade her to stop talking once she started. She would talk about the weather, ask about what sort of human or youkai they were tracking at any particular time, or simply take to singing songs she had heard in the villages they passed through.

It seemed strange to Inuyasha that Sesshomaru seemed unfazed by the girl. He hardly ever expressed a need for her to be silent, choosing instead to allow her any type of entertainment she managed to come by. It was hard to believe that his brother, the one youkai he'd always been positive despised humans in every possible way had now taken one into his permanent care. It didn't matter how much time passed, or how long he spent in the strange company, he remained bewildered by the fact.

Gradually, Inuyasha noticed that his tree top traveling was bringing him nearer to his familiar woods, and that fact was enough to break his mind away from his mental wandering. At the same time, he couldn't help but sense the tiredness from the constant days of traveling with Sesshomaru push to the surface. It had indeed been a long week, but thoughts of the secluded hot spring that wasn't far from the town, and the way the hot water would feel against his sore muscles kept him moving at a steady pace.

When well known trees and landmarks came into view at last; a lopsided smile came to Inuyasha's face. Soon he would reach the small hut he'd built for himself within the woods. He breathed deeply the warm, moist, familiar air and reflected how good it felt to be going home.

Something in that air he took in made Inuyasha pause. He went so far as to stop traveling all together. With a series of fluid movements, he had dropped himself down onto the needle and leaf covered forest floor with a soft crunch and sniffed the air more carefully.

It was a familiar smell; a scent from the not so distant past came over him. It took a moment for him to place the aroma, but once he realized what it reminded him of, memories he'd thought were locked up tightly inside of himself came flooding out like water from a crumbling dam. The smell of lightly perfumed hair, the feel of silky skin against his own, the velvety smooth sound of a feminine voice speaking in his ear, all things he had dreamed of experiencing once again. The need to know these things came rushing back to him as though it was only yesterday that they were all ripped out of his life.

Inuyasha took a deep breath in and slowly closed his eyes. He could almost feel the way her lips, Kagome's lips had come up to meet his once upon a time; sweetly pressing against his own for the briefest of moments, like a dream, before she had broken the intimate contact. He couldn't help but let himself think what this all consuming aroma could mean.

A loud joyful call sounded out across the forest, breaking through the other noises around him. At this distance it was difficult to make out if the voice belonged to a male or a female, but one thing was clear, it was a young voice. When the sound repeated itself a look of confusion came over Inuyasha's features, Shippo? He started out at a sprint in the direction of both the questionable voice and the alluring scent. He wasn't sure what he expected to see once he reached the source, but he was going to find out what it was regardless.

As he neared his final destination, he noticed that the scent and the voice had lead him to the bone eaters well. His sensitive nose began to pick up traces of Shippo's scent, confirming his earlier assumptions about the voice he'd heard call out. Inuyasha's mouth hardened into a line, as his speed increased by a fraction, all thoughts of the fleetingly familiar scent he thought he had caught earlier traveling through the trees pushed to the side for more practical matters.

What on earth was that brat doing in the forest? Hadn't he told him a thousand times to keep out, that there was nothing for him here in the trees?

When the clearing around the bone eaters well came into sight, Inuyasha slowed his pace down to a walk and was about to call out his displeasure to the kitsun when he saw something that made him stop dead in his tracks.

Two figures knelt down in the grass next to the bone eaters well. A raven head bent over Shippo's unmistakably fiery one. It was a tight embrace the two of them held each other with, the kind that's given to loved ones who haven't seen each other for a long time.

Shippo could be heard going on about how long he'd missed this dark haired stranger he was embracing, his voice thick with tearful emotion. When the stranger spoke, trying to sooth Shippo, it was clear she was female. She ran a hand across Shippo's back in a motherly way, and it became apparent that she was just as emotional as the kit.

Inuyasha watched as Shippo suddenly pushed himself away from the woman and exclaimed "You're not going to leave again, are you?"

A beautiful tinkling laugh, reminiscent of dainty bells rang through the clearing. How many times had Inuyasha heard a laugh just like that one in the past? It had usually been directed towards him because of some foolish mistake he had made, but still, there was no mistaking it.

"Oh Shippo, lets not get carried away. I've only just got here, but even if I do have to go home, it's been worth it to see you right now. You've gotten so big!" The woman raised her head in order to get a better look at the kit, and in doing so, moved just enough so that Inuyasha was able to see her face.

His breath caught in the chest.

Strait dark eyebrows, clear almond eyes and smooth pale skin were clearly visible to him from his place in the trees. Her pretty lips were set in a delicate smile as she gazed affectionately at Shippo. Everything about her was warm and kind, just the way he had always remembered her being.

"No, its not." Shippo's voice cut across Inuyasha's thoughts suddenly, "It's not enough just seeing you! I want you to stay, Kagome!"

"Kagome." The name crossed Inuyasha's lips naturally as it had a thousand times before. It really was her. She had come back. Somehow beyond all reason she had come back after all this time. He raised a hand to steady himself against a nearby tree while his legs threatened to give out on him.

All the memories came flooding back once more, this time trying to over run him. Somehow all the things he had decided over the years that were so important to tell her didn't seem that important anymore. All that mattered was she was alright, and that she had come back. No memory, no remembered past could be changed, but here she was, the one who he had felt for so long he'd betrayed, he'd let down because of his numerous shortcomings, come back to give him the second chance he'd never thought he deserved.

She was comforting Shippo again as his gaze remained focused on her. Her eyes were closed, her chin rested on top of Shippo's head as he curled in her kneeling lap. It was an image of how things had been so long ago, except that now Shippo looked out of place in his curled position, now being fifteen years old.

She seemed so much like the same girl who had left eight years ago, and she was, but she was also so much more. It was the small things he could pick up with her actions, the graceful way she pushed a strand of loose hair off of her forehead, or stroked Shippo's back. It was in her smile, still warm and true, but the emotion Inuyasha could see she was feeling behind the smile was somehow _more_ then it ever had been. It was like she had more warmth and kindness then she ever had to give.

And as Inuyasha watched the touching scene, he began to wonder what it would look like if Shippo decided to suddenly pay attention to his surroundings and discovered him standing in the trees. He knew that it would undoubtedly interrupt that he and Kagome were having together, and for some reason, he felt wrong doing that. Shippo, no matter how well he'd dealt with his feelings or hidden them away, had always been sad about the fact that Kagome had gone back to her own time and there were very few things that could be done for him over the years that could make up for his sadness. This was the one thing that Inuyasha could do for the kit. Hew would make sure that his reunion with Kagome was as long as he needed it be, no matter what his own emotions were doing to him.

Suddenly reluctant, but steadfast in his decision, he thought that he would more then likely have time for a quick bath in the hot springs before he spoke with Kagome, he gave one last look towards her warm expression before standing up strait and making his move to leave. "I'll be back, Kagome."

It was as though she heard the low spoken words. Her eyes popped open and landed on him. A surprised looked passed across her face immediately as her lips formed a single word.

"Inuyasha."

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A/N: I hope that this chapter is received with approval by those who waited so patiently for it.

Eden


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